Do More with LeSS

Complex product development doesn’t require complex solutions.

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a framework for scaling agile development to multiple teams. LeSS builds on top of the Scrum principles such as empiricism, cross-functional self-managing teams and provides a framework for applying that at scale. It provides simple structural rules and guidelines on how to adopt Scrum in large product development.

Gene Gendel

About Your Trainer:

This class is delivered by Gene Gendel – Certified LeSS Trainer (CLT) and Certified Enterprise & Team Coach (CEC-CTC) of Scrum Alliance. Gene Gendel is an organizational design specialist, agile/lean coach and trainer, consultant and adviser to senior leadership. Almost 15 of 20+ years of his professional experience – Gene dedicated to working with companies of various sizes and lines of business, trying to help them improve internal dynamics, organizational structure and becoming a better place to work. 

Gene engages at all organizational levels: senior- and mid-level management, teams and individuals. Gene has many years of experience, working in LeSS adoptions, teaching and coaching LeSS. If you have any questions about the course content, scheduling or pricing, reach out to Gene.

Do More with LeSS

Class Descriptions

Certified LeSS Basic

VIRTUAL TRAINING

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a framework for scaling agile development to multiple teams. LeSS.works gives an overview. LeSS builds on top of the Scrum principles such as empiricism, cross-functional self-managing teams and provides a framework for applying that at scale. It provides simple structural rules and guidelines on how to adopt Scrum in large product development. The Certified LeSS Basics course is a brief introduction into the LeSS Framework. It provides an overview of the framework and some of the essential concepts that it uses.The Certified LeSS basics course is for anyone who is involved in a LeSS effort. Basic Scrum knowledge is expected (this is not a beginner’s course) and can be achieved by attending a Certified Scrum Master or a Professional Scrum Master course, or thoroughly reading Scrum introduction material such as the Scrum Primer and practicing Scrum. You can read more about CLB and review pre-training materials here. Agenda & Learning Objectives:This review will combine instructor-led structured learning of key principles of LeSS, introduction to System Modelling and Q&A that is based on experience of practical implementation and lessons learned by experienced LeSS coaches and trainers.

  • Introduction to LeSS (Why LeSS?)
  • Lean Thinking and System Thinking
  • LeSS – as Scrum-based approach on scaling
  • How does LeSS scale over ~8 teams?
  • Dynamics of component teams vs. feature teams
  • Roles, Events, Artifacts
  • What is basic Scrum and what is specific to LeSS?
  • Why there is one and only real PO and not so-called team POs?
  • Why ScruMaster in LeSS is a full-time role?
  • The complete diagram of LeSS: principles, rules, guides, and experiments
  • Impact of LeSS on organizational design (structures, policies)
  • Local Optimization vs. Global Optimization
  • The ‘Contract’ Game
  • The Product
  • Product Development Types
  • Product Portfolio Management (real portfolios vs. fake portfolios)
  • Why are there so many attempts to modify LeSS, without trying it?
  • LeSS vs. LeSS Huge

After the workshop, the participants will be able to understand that LeSS is multi-team Scrum, understand what is LeSS, what is not LeSS, and the principles behind LeSS, understand how the current organizational design comes in the way of the organization being Agile and evaluate what changes need to be made to help the organization adopt LeSS. Course participants will be also recognize ‘fake’ LeSS adoptions and articulate why the latter don’t succeed.

Recommended Reading Pre-Requisites /Self-StudyPlease, proceed to this page for recommended reading: http://www.keystepstosuccess.com/1-day-less-overview/

Provisional Certified LeSS Practitioner: Principles to Practices

VIRTUAL TRAINING

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a framework for scaling agile development to multiple teams that work on the same product, from the same product backlog (prioritized by the same Product Owner). LeSS.works gives an overview. LeSS builds on top of the Scrum principles such as empiricism, cross-functional self-managing teams and provides a framework for applying that at scale. It provides simple structural rules and guidelines on how to adopt Scrum in large product development.

The online provisional Certified LeSS (pCLP) Practitioner – is an in-depth course covering the LeSS principles, framework and rules, and guides. It provides essential information for adopting and improving LeSS to your product development group. The course contains an overview of LeSS, stories on LeSS adoptions, exercises and extensive LeSS Q&A to ensure that the topics most of interest to the participants are being discussed.

pCLP is spread over a course of 8 days, with 3-hour session, delivered each day – virtually (using Zoom, Miro board, google docs and other online facilitation tools & techniques). Classes are capped at 12 people.

Each participant is expected to attend all sessions. Light homework assignment should be expected in-between sessions.

The provisional Certified LeSS Practitioner course is for anyone who is involved in a LeSS effort. Basic Scrum knowledge is expected and can be achieved by attending a Certified Scrum Master or a Professional Scrum Master course, or thoroughly reading Scrum introduction material such as the Scrum Primer, information recommended below, as well as practicing Scrum.

This course is focused on delivering and sharing LeSS knowledge, similar to the in-person Certified LeSS Practitioner course. Thus this course is useful for people who want to learn more in-depth about LeSS, especially people currently in a LeSS adoption.

However, please note that pCLP does not offer same experience as an in-person CLP, due to the differences explained here. As such, instead of Certified LeSS Practitioner certificate, students will gain a provisional Certified LeSS Practitioner (pCLP) certificate. pCLP can be upgraded to CLP by either visiting an in person CLP course at later point, or participating in LeSS and Learn mentoring workshop (also, in-person).

Note: Please, note that if you plan on attending the course with colleagues that are also involved in LeSS adoption (same organisation) or plan on requesting pCLP to be delivered privately (internally), you may want to consider this LeSS learning journey.

Still, when you attend a provisional Certified LeSS Practitioner, you will receive an account on the LeSS site, access to the LeSS books and other learning material that is traditionally only accessible for Certified LeSS Practitioners and Certified LeSS for Executives. You will be able to renew that every two years, exactly the same as a Certified LeSS Practitioners that initially took CLP.

Learning Objectives:

The following topics will be covered in the provisional Certified LeSS Practitioner course:

  • Why LeSS?
  • Scrum, LeSS and LeSS Huge Overview
  • LeSS Rules and Principles
  • Organizing around Customer Value and Feature Teams
  • What is your product?
  • Definition of Done and its impacts
  • Product Owner and Product Backlog
  • Role of Management
  • Organizational impacts and typical LeSS organizational structure
  • LeSS Product Backlog Refinement, Sprint Planning, Review and Retrospective
  • Consideration on technical practices when scaling
  • Integration & Coordination
  • Adopting LeSS in your organization
  • Scrum Master role within LeSS

The course is based on group exercises with lots of Q&A. You will practice a lot with Systems Modelling during the course though which you will learn to see the ‘whole’ (overall organizational dynamics) not just individual parts.

Self-Study References:

LeSS Webinars and presentations from the trainer (Gene Gendel):

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